Advances in C-H Bond Activation and Functionalization

Dear Colleagues,

Organometallic compounds play a pivotal role in modern life since they are decisively involved in a plethora of industrial applications. In this sense, drug discovery, agrochemical invention, small molecule functionalization and material science are drastically impacted by the most recent advancements in organometallic chemistry. With no doubt, cross-coupling reactions are considered amongst the most remarkable findings mediated by Transition Metal (TM) species within the last decades. Accordingly, the pioneering work by Suzuki, Heck and Negishi was recognized with the Nobel Prize in 2010. Further improvements within the field include C-Heteroatom bond formations (i.e. Ullmann type coupling, Buchwald-Hartwig reaction, Chan-Lam-Evans coupling,…) or the more challenging fluorination and perfluorinations of aromatics. 

The use of TM-catalyzed C-H bond activation strategies to build C-C and C-Heteroatom functionalities represents an appealing and straightforward alternative precluding previous functionalization steps, isolation of intermediates and metallic waste production. Typically enabled by second and third row TM complexes, a major concern on C-H bond functionalization chemistry deals with the commonly observed lack of selectivity. Growing interest is now focused on novel reactivity patterns and selectivity improvement merging abundant and affordable first row TMs and a substrate/ligand design strategy. Inspired by nature, metalloenzymes allows for a myriad of transformations including C-H bond oxidations. Nowadays, original C-H bond activation and functionalization pathways enabled by photoredox catalysis are emerging research arenas as well.

This Special Issue will collect different aspects regarding the most recent advances in arene and alkane modification through C-H bond activation processes. We thus invite either original research articles or comprehensive reviews dealing with the aforementioned fields including organic synthesis, ligand design conception, TM, metalloenzymes and photoredox catalysis. In depth mechanistic investigation and fundamental studies of C-H bond activations are also welcomed in the current Special Issue.

Dr. Noel Nebra
Guest Editor

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